Zero
by KimyouTeki
Summary: The sequel to Baku, Ra, to Ringu.
1. Dead Baby

So, if you're reading this on the day it's posted, you're probably wondering why I'd start a sequel before part one is even finished. All I can say is: 

I couldn't help myself. 

As of this writing, _Baku, Ra, to Ringu_ is only at ch.46/47. Therefore, so as not to give anything away, This first chapter features Original Characters. The YGO/Gravitation kyara will be along shortly (whoever survives part one). 

So please to enjoy. There are several directions this could take, feel free to voice your wishes and expectations in a review. 

Let's begin, shall we? 

**Zero.  
Chapter One  
Dead Baby**

* * *

He was an exchange student from America-- people had expected him to be loud and obnoxious, the typical "Ugly American". 

They were surprised at the boy's soft voice and humble demeanor. He had perfect attendance at Domino High School. He never made a ruckus in class; he got straight A's. He never raised his voice in class or after class was done. 

He didn't say a thing when some of the bigger kids started teasing him. Oddly enough, the bullying didn't last long. 

One day, the bullies did not come to school. It was later whispered among students that the boys in question had been hospitalized with various injuries-- bruises, concussions, broken bones-- and all claimed to not remember what had happened to them. They stopped teasing the American after that. 

Although everyone looked at Ezra differently after that incident, he never changed and he never really came out of his shell. 

It was late December, 2005. Ezra had spent the day at the library. It was evening. He came home to his modest apartment hungry and tired. 

He came in and things were as he'd left them-- the lights were on, and the radio was set to a station that played American oldies. He liked to come home to this instead of a dark, empty apartment. 

He set down the books he'd checked out on the diningroom table he used as a desk, then toed off his workshoes and went to the bathroom. 

He used the toilet and washed up, then went to take out his contact lenses, cursing himself for not doing this first, because now he had traces of soap on his fingertips. He always forgot. 

His tinted contacts made his eyes look a smoky blue which went best with his fluffy blonde hair. He pinched its surface and pulled it out, then placed it in its container with the other one. Now his eyes could rest. He sighed, looking at his true eye color in the mirror. He liked them. They looked like gold. Unfortunately, gold-colored eyes were very unusual, even moreso in Japan, so he'd felt the need to blend in. 

He perked as he heard the opening strains of Blue Oyster Cult's "Don't Fear the Reaper" playing in the livingroom. He ran and turned up the volume, then went into the kitchen to find some dinner.

* * *

It was 9:30 when he'd finally finished his homework. School was his top priority; if he didn't maintain his grades he would be deported. Pulling away from his desk, he sighed, rubbing his eyes, then put his papers into his schoolbag and went to the livingroom. 

He had a DVR console and satellite TV. He'd missed the last few episodes of _Fullmetal Alchemist_, and now, he finally had the time to catch up. 

Dropping himself gratefully into the cushy recliner, he snatched the remote off the lamp table at his side and hit the _power_ button. 

The DVR menu made him blink. There was _Fullmetal Alchemist_, and below that, a few other favorite shows-- _Charmed_, _CSI_, _Naruto_... However, at the very top of the list was a show Ezra definitely did not set to record: 

_12/18/05 : 3:35 am - 3:38 am : Dead Baby._

There was no plot synopsis. 

He couldn't stop staring at the tiny white title. After a few seconds, he swallowed hard and snapped out of his trance. He placed the cursor over _delete_ and pushed _enter_. 

The screen blinked, but the show was not deleted. 

He pressed the button again and again, because that was the only thing he could think of. 

He clicked his tongue. "Stupid piece of shit..." 

The power went out. 

He froze in the jet black shroud that had suddenly dropped over him, beads of sweat popping out all over his skin. Before he could get up to find a flashlight, the room was aglow again. The TV was on. 

The ring shone brightly against a jet-black background. Ezra recognized it instantly. 

"Oh, _shit!_" He jumped out of his chair and ran out the front door to avoid seeing the entire cursed feature. 

He closed the door and rested his butt against, it, hunched over, catching his breath. He'd recently seen _Ringu 2_, and they'd said it was okay if you only saw the well, whatever that meant. 

_It's a trick. Or maybe a glitch. But all I saw was the ring. I didn't watch it all, so it's okay, right?_

He straightened, leaning his head against the door, staring at the underside of the balconey above him. He sighed. 

_Wait a minute. It's just a movie. Ringu, The Ring, The Ring Virus, Rasen, Ringu 0, and so forth and so forth. It's a movie. A franchise. Oh, man._

"Someone's playing a prank on me," he said aloud, trying to convince himself. He stepped toward the railing and gripped it, gazing out over the rain-soaked parking lot, not really seeing it. 

"It's just a prank. There's no curse. This is the real world. No curses, or spirits, or evil ghost girls." He didn't believe a word of it. 

He looked at his door again. It looked completely banal. 

He sweatdropped and blew out a big sigh. _I'll have to go back in eventually. All my stuff's in there._

He went in. 

Inside was a hallway leading down to the livingroom. The lights were off, but the TV was still glowing. He heard that godawful sound and gulped. 

_skree, skreee... skree, skreee..._

"No one's in there," he whispered to himself. "It's just a weird TV show created by a glitch in my DVR. No one's in there." 

From right behind him came a genderless hiss: 

"Then why are you whispering?" 

He actually felt a cold breath against his earlobe.

* * *

_"WAAAAAAGGHHH! AAAAUUGHH!"_

The landlady came out of her apartment and spotted the source of the ruckus right away-- one of her tenants was running around, screaming his head off, like an idiot. 

He came running and as he passed, she held her cane up just in time to catch his forehead. 

_BAM._ He went down. 

He cowered against the doorframe, rubbing his new welt, catching his breath. 

The landlady stood over him, completely cool. "Tell me what happened." 

He kept his head low. "I'm sorry, Ms. Yoshikawa. I didn't mean to raise a ruckus. Please don't evict me." 

She smiled. "I've had wilder tenants than you. Don't worry about that. Do you need help?" 

He looked up at her, tears in his eyes, and shook his head. 

"Well, at least come inside and have some nice cookies." 

"Umm, no thanks... You know what? I think I'll go stay at a friend's house."

* * *

Ezra had been charmed the moment he'd laid eyes on Megumi's house. It was small by American standards, and its design was unmistakably traditional Japanese, with tatami mat floors and sliding doors of rice paper, and a classic Japanese garden in the back. Megumi sometimes insinuated that Ezra only loved him for his house, but that couldn't be further from the truth. 

Relief washed over him as soon as the door slid open and he saw Megumi's face. 

"Megs..." He took half a step towards him, intending to hug him. 

"Tst!" His eyes shifted to the side. His parents were home. 

"Oh." 

Megumi stepped aside and let Ezra in. "It's good to see you, Ez'ra San." 

As Megumi led the way to his room, Ezra paused to bow to Megumi's parents. 

"Kon bon wa." 

They gave him the usual stony-eyed glare. Megumi's father hated Americans. As far as they knew, Megumi was Ezra's mentor. 

They laid two futons on the floor, a good six feet apart. They let the parents see this. Then the parents went to bed and they closed the door. 

Ezra climbed under the comforter with Megumi, snuggling into his embrace. 

"Now you can tell me what happened." 

Ezra blinky-blinked and gazed into Megumi's coquettish jet-black eyes. 

"What scared you?" 

"It was nothing. I just saw something scary on TV." 

"You should stop watching things that disturb you. It's as if you're addicted to fear." 

He smiled. "Maybe I just like to wind up in your arms." 

They kissed softly, deeply.

* * *

Hours later, Ezra woke, covered in sweat, trembling. He'd had a nightmare. 

All he could remember was a flash-- witnessing the torturous rape of a child. 

He reached for Megumi. 

Megumi was gone. 

Gasping, he sat up. Megumi had moved to the other futon, on the other side of the room. Ezra felt a pang of rejection. 

A chill swept over him. Goosebumps popped out over his arms, shoulders, and necks as he hugged himself. 

The doors were open-- not the doors to the hallway, but the other doors which led to the back porch overlooking the garden. He got up to close them. 

As he grasped them, something caught his eye-- a human form. He looked up. 

There was a person standing by the koi pond. He recognized the silhouette. 

He walked over to her. 

As he approached, she became clearer and he saw shackles on her wrists and ankles. They were attached to thick iron chains which went into the water. 

_She'll be dragged under_, he thought. Just then, the chains went taut and pulled her off her feet. 

He ran, and caught her wrists. He saw her eyes wide with fear. 

"I've got you! Hang on!" 

He knew what was pulling her. He refused to let go! 

Suddenly he was thrown backwards. He thought for a moment that he'd won. Then he looked down. 

All he held were her arms, the flesh at her shoulders torn away with the rest of her.

* * *

"Wake up! RaChan!" 

A hand slapped him _hard_ across the face. 

Ezra opened his eyes and found himself laying in Megumi's arms. 

"RaChan." He squeezed him. 

His pulse was racing, his skin hot and clammy. His chest hurt. He fought to get his breathing back to normal. 

"Oh, Megs, I had such an awful nightmare..." 

He sat up and gasped, looking around. 

He was in the backyard, next to the koi pond. Everything was covered by a pristine blanket of December snow. The koi pond had been emptied for the season. 

"Oh. I was sleepwalking..." 

"Yes, you were," Megumi said. 

_And let's not worry about how you got from my room, across the yard, and to the pond without leaving footprints in the snow._

* * *

**one  
dead baby  
finish**


	2. Green Water

* * *

_Monday, December 19, 2005 _

_It's 4:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. I've been trying for hours now, but it's no use. Maybe if I just tell you what happened, it'll be out of my system and I'll feel better. And if I die, then maybe people will know what happened to me. _

_I woke up at, like, 2:15 'cause I needed to use the bathroom. I went, and when I came back, she was sitting there in my bed. She had the covers pulled up to her chin and she was shaking. Not because she was cold, though. I could see the fear in her eyes._

_She said, 'Please let me stay here.' Before I could respond, there was this loud _BOOM_ that shook everything. It came from outside my room, down the hall. _

_She started crying. 'It's him,' she said. 'Please don't let him find me.'_

_Then the noise came again-- _BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM,_ like the footsteps of some horrible monster. _

_It was coming closer and closer to my room. I was scared stiff and she was yelling at me to lock the door before he got in. I snapped out of it and ran over and locked the door just as the knob began to twist and shake. I heard him shouting and growling on the other side. _

_I ran and jumped under the covers with her, and we held each other tight, shrinking away from his voice._

_I wanted to call for help, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out except a squeak. I didn't really hear it, though. I just felt my vocal cords vibrating. _

_The door started to come apart as he punched through. The wood splintered and tore, and light from the hallway began to come in. That's when I woke up for real, breathing hard and drenched in sweat._

* * *

Megumi sometimes found himself wondering if Ezra had two personalities-- who he was when they were alone, and who he was in front of everyone else. 

Head down, he ate quietly, methodically, as if in the presence of royalty. He even took care to set the chopsticks down noiselessly.

He nodded his head. "Thank you so much. It was very good."

Megumi's parents did not acknowledge the compliment or admire the polite manner in which it was given. After a stony silence, Megumi's father turned to him and said, "Your mother and I need to speak to you."

* * *

Ezra put on his winter coat and scarf. He pulled on his galoshes and waved Megumi a cheerful goodbye. 

"See ya at school, Megs." Then he was gone, and everything seemed grayer all of a sudden.

* * *

His footsteps down the hall were agonizingly slow and far between, until they stopped altogether. 

_I don't want to do this._

Your Mother and I Need to Speak to You. He dreaded those words. Their last such conversation had been when Father had announced Megumi would be transferring to an exclusive all-boys' private school.

Megumi chuckled to himself. _I was so furious... But then again, that was where I met RaChan, so things turned out for the best, didn't they?_

He took in a deep breath; sighed it out.

_Okay, Father. I'm ready for anything._

* * *

The president was waiting by the school gate. 

Ezra was in the school's photography club. The other members spent alot of time talking about the photos they'd taken and developed, and discussing the best cameras, films, and chemicals, who made the best such products, and so forth.

Ezra didn't like how they had to turn every little aspect of the art into a big discussion. He often walked in, developed his stuff, then walked out without any of them even noticing he was there.

Although his social skills were sorely lacking, he knew well enough how to be polite. He bowed, and faked a small grin. "Ohaiyo, Ikari-San."

He smiled back, "Ohaiyo, Ez'ra-Kun. Can I talk to you for a minute, please?"

* * *

"I'm sorry, what? I don't get what you're saying..." 

"You have a real talent when it comes to photography. You have this gift for making the most mundane things look eerie and outlandish, even dangerous..."

He frowned. "Yet you want me to quit."

"It's not me... I'm sorry, but some of the other members... Well, they came to me. They are uncomfortable in your presence."

Ezra lifted his brows. "Uncomfortable?"

Shinji nodded. "Yes. Most of the girls, and a couple of the guys. I'm sorry..."

"You're kicking me out?"

"You haven't broken any rules, so I can't kick you out, according to school club protocol; however, I am suggesting you resign."

Ezra's eye twitched. "I thought school clubs were places we could go to to be among people who share our interests and be accepted. I try to be nice to everyone. I don't know what I did wrong..."

His eyes welled up with tears and he swiped them away, angry at himself for crying.

Shinji became alarmed. "Are you alright? Please don't cry, it's just a club..."

"But I really like it, I mean, I love photography. I know I'm not very professional about it and I know I don't talk to the other people, but they never talk to me either and I'm just, like, really shy, ya know?" He covered his face with both hands, his voice rising.

"Calm down, don't cry..."

Ezra started sobbing. "I... just wanted... to be in a... club... and have... fun!" He sobbed some more.

Passersby began to stare, most of them frowning at the crybaby. Shinji became embarrassed.

"There, there, it's okay, you don't have to quit the club!"

He stopped and looked up at Shinji, eyes glittering with tears.

"I'm president of the club and I have to keep everyone happy. How about I give you a set of keys to the club lab and you can use it freely after school Tuesdays and Thursdays?"

"You mean I'd have it all to myself? That seems kind of unfair."

"No, no, it'll be fine. I'll have the set of keys for you before the school day ends."

Ezra smiled. "Thanks, Mr. President."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to class. You should get going, too." He bowed and walked away.

Ezra smiled to himself, thinking, _I can be pretty manipulative when I want to be!_

* * *

Megumi did not come to school. When the clock struck 3, RaChan couldn't tear out of the classroom fast enough. 

No one came to answer the door when he knocked. He knocked and rang the bell and called out to Megumi. His knuckles grew sore and red.

He glared at the door, hating it for standing between him and his true love, resisting the temptation to kick the fucker in.

He lowered his head and forced himself to breathe. _There's some sort of perfectly rational explanation for this. Just calm down._

Eyes closed, he became aware of a faint sound that did not belong: flowing water.

It sounded like a stream, but there were none around. Ezra wondered if maybe a big pipe had burst somewhere inside the house and was flooding the place. He walked around to the backyard, glancing in all the windows as he passed.

As he neared the backyard, the sound swelled. Then he saw it-- water flowing everywhere, covering the backyard. Ezra wondered if there had been a flood.

The water did not reach the level of the porch, so Ezra stood there to look out over the water. It seemed to be coming from under the house, flowing back towards the patch of trees behind the property.

_Where the hell is it all coming from? _

His breath caught on his throat as he caught sight of a human figure-- a man standing where the trees began. He was tall and slender, with dirty blonde hair. Although he was facing the other way, Ezra knew who it was. His heart lurched when this person turned and looked at him with inhuman eyes.

_Please, no...!_

But yes, the eyes recognized him and the feet started to move, transporting the hulking flesh across the yard, closer to the house.

Ezra stood frozen for a second or two which felt like at least ten or twenty minutes before terror woke him enough to make him turn and run into the house. He closed the doors, and felt like an idiot-- the doors were rice paper, they wouldn't keep him out!

He turned away from the doors, looking around the stark interior. "Megumi! _MEGUMI!!"_

The house seemed empty, as if they'd abandoned it. RaChan was suddenly reminded of Roanoke and felt horribly alone. _Everyone vanished._

He fell to a squatting position on the tatami mats, hands covering his tear-soaked face. "Megumi, Megumi, Megumi!"

He gasped as his feet were enveloped in sudden cold wetness. Opening his eyes, he saw mossy-looking green water streaming around his feet. The doors had been saturated and torn open. This disgusting green water was flooding the room. Before Ezra could process what was happening, it as up to his waist. He barely had enough time to suck in one last gasp before he was immersed. Up and down lost meaning; he was flailing and cursing Megumi's absence.

Hands came out of nowhere, huge and hot and strong. He knew who it was, but did not struggle, so terrorstricken that he froze, his last gasp of air escaping in a flush of bubbles. The hands grasped his face and a hot mouth closed over his, a tongue forcing its way in.

Tears seeped out and were lost in the green water as RaChan hated the kiss, feeling weaker, knowing that this kiss was draining his life force, unable to stop it.

_Please just end already! I'm so sick of you!_

After a time, the kiss vanished, and there was only a quiet blackness that seemed to last only long enouogh for him to wonder if he was dead. At that time, lips were sealed over his, but these lips were different; rather than sucking his life force, breath was being sent into him.

He heard a panicked voice: "Come on, come on... Fuck!"

He wanted to say, _It's okay, I'm alive_, but he could not move until something in him spasmed and he started coughing, which felt very unpleasant. He felt a wamed liquid coming out of his mouth and splashing over his chin. He felt himself breathing normally once again and slowly opened his eyes.

Megumi was over him, looking down at him; his brow creased in great consternation. "RaChan."

"What's going on?"

"I found you lying facedown in the koi pond, that's what. What the hell were you doing? Why did you fill it?"

Megumi's words alarmed Ezra. He knew what he would see-- his heart froze as he saw that the pond was filled with disgusting-looking green water.

* * *


End file.
